Transfer mechanism for calculating



Feb. 20, 1945. R 5 MLSSON 2,369,974

TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR CALCULATING MACHINE Filed Sept. 8, 1943 M/VEJYT R E 5, 1W4. 550M Patented Feb. 20, 1945 TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR' CALCULATING MACHINES 1 Robert Severin Nils son, London,. England Application September 8, 1943, Serial No. 501,590 In Great Britain June 29, 1942 5 Claims. I 01. 235-138) This invention relates to transfer or carryover mechanism for calculating and similar'machines of the kind where a transfer pin or tooth on the numeral or dial wheel moves a transfer lever which affects the lateral displacement of a spring-pressed tooth in a transfer wheel, herein termedthe actuating tooth, to a position whereby it effects transfer, and from which position it returns to .its original position under spring in- The object of the present invention is to create a time lag between the moment when the transfer pin moves the lever and the moment when the can be incorporated for varying this delay period i. e.. the length of time commencing from the engagement of the transfer pin with the lever and ending with the final location or'setting of the lever in the actuating tooth path. Advantages flowing from the creation of such a time lag will be appreciatedby those skilled in the art. For example, by holding back the precise moment lever assumes its "final position in the path of the actuating tooth of the transfer wheel. Means when the actual setting position of the transfer lever is assumed (after the lever has already been tripped by the numeral wheel to initiate the setting) it is possible to arrange for the rotation of the numeral wheel by the setting-up system at any predetermined angular position of the oper ating shaft of the machine.

According to the present invention, transfer mechanism. for calculating and similar machines of the kind set forth is characterised in'that tripping of the transfer lever by the transfer pin on the numeral Wheel, conditions an auxiliary lever for subsequent operation by the machine to move proper) being movable into and out of the path of the transfer pin on the numeral wheel but always clear of the actuating tooth, and the other (an auxiliaiy lever) being movable into and out of the path of the actuating tooth in the transfer wheel,

the movement 0f the transfer lever proper by the transfer pin conditioning th auxiliary lever so that it can be moved into the path of the actuating tooth (t0 displace the same for effecting .transferyby a supplemental element movable during the operation of the machine in any desired timed relationship'with the rotation of the numeral wheel.

In order that the invention may be readily understood,-an embodiment thereof is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing,

wherein Figures '1 to 3 are diagramso'f the same piece of transferring mechanism according to the invention with the parts in three different opera tive positions.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I designates the numeral or dial wheel, 2 the intermediate pinion actuated by the setting up drum (not shown), 3 the transfer wheel (with parts broken away to'show other operational parts) rotatable by the shaft 4 in fixed relation therewith, and 5 and 6 are a pair of interworking'levers constituting a composite transfer lever element. Of these two levers, the one 5 is for convenience termed the transfer lever proper, as it is the partactually tripped by the transfer pin 11 on the numeral wheeL-while the other lever 6 is best described as an auxiliary lever as it is not conditioned for movement until-the transfer lever proper has been tripped. There are two actuating'teeth on the transfer drum shown at'8 and '9, one being positiveand one negative. When pressed in a direction at right-angles to the drawing, they'are slightly dis 'placed across along the periphery of the transfer wheel to set them in a plane corresponding to the plane of the intermediate pinion 2 on to which a transfer is to be made. As in knownmechanisms, they are displaced as and when a cam or equivalent, such as In, on the transfer lever, is located in their path and the transfer wheelrevolved.

In constructions of known type, when the nu meralwheel has been advanced sufficiently for transfer to take place, the transfer pin trips the transfer lever, andinstantaneously a cam or the like (equivalent to the cam in of the present invention) carried by the lever is positioned in the path of the actuating teeth (equivalent to the actuating teeth '8 and 9 of the present invention). In the case of the present invention, the tripping of the transfer lever by the transfer .pin 1 merely moves the part 5, and the movement of the part 6 with the cam H1 is delayed until later in the operative cycle.

It will be seen that the transfer lever properi and the auxiliary lever 6 arepivoted on the common transfer lever shaft H, and they are each two-armed levers lying approximately in the same general line andsuperimposed. The inner end of the lever-5 has a tooth [2 by which it is tripped driving pin 25 will suffice.

by the transfer pin 1, and the outer end is resiliently connected to a fixed frame element l3 by the spring 14, the arrangement being such that the lever is held positively by the spring in either the off position of Figure 1 or the on position of Figure 3 after tripping. The auxiliary lever 6 is provided with the cam it at its inner end and has an edge l at its outer end opposed to and spaced away from an edge it of lever 5.

Between the opposed edges l5 and I8 is located the upturned lug I! of a slider 18 carried on a slider pin I9 projecting from the actuating lever 20. The lever 20 is pivoted on the shaft 2| and has a tail 22 riding on the adjustable transfer cam 23. The latter is loose on, but rotated by the shaft 4 through the driving bar 24, the latter picking up contact with the driving pin 25 and driving the cam in either direction according as the machine is being worked positively or nega tively.

The precise moment when the cam is moved in relation to the rotation of the shaft 4, and thus in the operative cycle of the machine, can be adjusted in many ways. For instance, angularly varying the position of the pin 25 on the cam secures a variation of the timing of the cam. For fine adjustments the substitution of a thinner or thicker driving bar 24, or a thinner or thicker In another arrangement the pin 25 may be eccentrically rotatably mounted in the cam 23 so that its effective position may be varied at will.

The adjustable transfer cam 23 can raise the tail 22 of the actuating lever 20, thus lowering the outer end of the lever and placing the slider l8 and its lug i! in a different position from that occupied when the tail 22 is unraised.

The mentioned time lag between the moment when the transfer pin moves the lever and the moment when the lever assumes its final position in the path of the actuating tooth of the transfer wheel, serves to allow the transfer wheel 3',.upon which the transfer teeth 9 are fitted, to rotate for example, through an angle of 180, so as to permit the first half of the drum circumference to freely pass the toothed wheel 2 before performing the carry-over operation. This angle of rotation can be reduced or increased as may be desirable, dependent upon whether one, two, or more counters are used in the machine. Thus, if two counters are used, the first time lag before the carry-over begins, will be 120 clockwise or counterclockwise.

Operation Assume the positions taken up in Figure l. The transfer lever proper 5 is normal (not yet operated for transfer) as the transfer pin 1 has not yet been advanced sufficiently to trip the tooth I 2. The actuating lever has not yet been raised by the cam 23. Operation of the machine turns the shaft 4, the setting-up drum (not shown) and through the latter turns the intermediate pinion 2 which registers on the numeral wheel I. It is supposed that the amount set up does not yet involve transfer.

The position of Figure 2 is encountered during the last mentioned operation. The numeral wheel has partially rotated but the transfer pin 1 does not yet trip the transfer lever proper 5. The cam 23 on the transfer drum 3 has been turned, however, causing the actuating lever 20 to rise and fall. The raised position is illustrated. This movement of the lever 204s idle; the slider it merely moves up and down on its pin I9 and with the outer end of the lever 20 to and from the numeral wheel, and the lug l'l rocks idly in the space between the edges 15 and Hi.

When, however, the numeral wheel I is rotated to sucha degree that the transfer pin I engages the tooth l2 and so trips the transfer lever proper 5 as it. has just done in Figure 3, then the outer end of lever 5 is brought forward into a new position being held by the spring I4. The edge 16 then becomes an abutment against which the lug I'l presses during the rocking movement brought about by the pivoting of the actuating lever 20 through the cam 23. Consequently, after the tripping of lever 5, the cam 23 will rock the slider I8, and the canting of the lug, this time bearing against the edge IE, will separate the outer ends of the two levers 5 and 6, rocking the latter into the new position shown in Figure 3. There is very little friction or other load on the lever 6, and the spring I4 is sufficiently strong to hold lever 5 rigid during the canting of the lug l'l.

Thus the cam 10 is brought into the path of the actuating teeth 8 and 9, one of which is displaced on continued rotation of the transfer wheel. The initiating movement of the transfer lever proper 5 did not in fact move the auxiliary lever B but only conditioned it or made it possible for it to be moved by the subsequent operation of the supplemental mechanism represented by the cam 23, lever 20 and slider 18. After the actuating tooth 8 (or 9) has been displaced, the

levers 5 and 6 are returned to their original position (Figures 1 and 2) by the enlargement or resetting projection 25 (or 21) on the transfer drum 3.

I claim:

1. In a calculating machine or the like, a transfer mechanism, including, a numeral wheel, a transfer pin on said wheel, a pinion cooperating with said wheel, a transfer shaft, a transfer drum on said shaft, actuating teeth carried by and selectively displaceable across the periphery of the transfer drum to engage said pinion, a resetting projection on the periphery of said drum, a cam on said transfer shaft adjacent the drum, a pivotally supportedactuating lever having one end engaged with said earn and provided at its op posite end with a lot, a slider having a stud at one end shiftable in said slot, an offset lug on the slider at the end opposite the stud, and a composite lever element spring biased to opposite limiting positions and including a transfer lever and an auxiliary lever pivoted side by side on a common shaft and having edge portions at one side of the pivot for engaging said lug, said auxiliary lever having a cam adapted successively to displace a tooth of said transfer drum to engage said pinion and be engaged by the resetting projection on the transfer drum when the transfer shaft is rotated, and said transfer lever having a tooth for engagement by said transfer. pin whereby tripping of the transfer lever by the transfer pin on the numeral wheel conditions said auxiliary lever for subsequent operation by the machine to move the cam of said auxiliary lever into the path of a tooth of the transfer drum at a predetermined moment after the transfer lever has been tripped.

2. A calculating machine or the like, according to claim 1 wherein the transfer lever of the said composite lever element is movable into and out of the path of the transfer pin on the numeral wheel but always clears the actuating teeth of the transfer drum, and the auxiliary lever is movable into and out of the path of the actuating tooth of the transfer drum, the movement of the transfer lever by the transfer pin conditioning the auxiliary lever so that its cam can be moved into the path of a tooth on the tranfer drum to displace said tooth.

3. A calculating machine or the like according to claim 1 wherein the auxiliary lever of said composite lever element is moved upon the rocking of said actuating lever by said cam on the transfer shaft, the movement of the actuating lever being idle so long as the transfer lever has not been tripped.

4. A calculating machine or the like according to claim 1 wherein the juxtaposed ends of the transfer lever and the auxiliary lever are shaped to form two opposing edges on each lever adapted to be separated by the lug of the slider mounted on the actuating lever, the movement of the slider relative to the actuating lever causing the lug thereof to separate the transfer lever and the auxiliary lever only when the former has been tripped, but otherwise being idle without effecting movement of the auxiliary lever.

5. In a calculating machine or the like, having a numeral wheel, a pinion cooperating with said wheel, a transfer shaft carrying a transfer cam, a transfer wheel on the shaft with teeth displaceable across its periphery for selectively engaging said pinion, resetting projections on the periphcry of said transfer wheel at either side of said teeth; and an automatically adjustable mechanism operatively related to the numeral wheel, transfer cam, and transfer wheel, comprising, a pin on the numeral wheel, a composite lever element including a co-axially pivoted transfer lever and auxiliary lever, a tooth on the transfer lever for engagement by said in, a cam on the auxiliary lever for successive engagement with the teeth and projections on the transfer wheel, a spring for biasing the composite lever element to opposite limiting positions, an actuating lever having one end engaged with the transfer cam, and a slide member having a pin and slot connection at one end with the actuating lever and having an offset vertically elongated lug at the other end disposed between adjacent edges of the transfer and auxiliary levers, whereby when the transfer shaft is rotated the pin on the numeral wheel engages the tooth on the transfer lever the latter is moved idly with respect to the auxiliary lever but the inner upper edge moves away from the facing edge of the auxiliary lever to permit the vertically elongated lug to assume an oblique position whereupon continued movement of the actuating lever by the transfer cam will cause the lug to separate the levers and move the cam on the auxiliary lever into the path of a tooth on the transfer wheel to displace the same.

ROBERT SEVERIN NILSSON. 

